Free Gazebo Plans

Planning the gazebo

When building a gazebo in your backyard, there are a few things that you should take into account, in order to prevent costly mistakes and to keep the expenditures under control. We have built dozens gazebos and we have learned throughout the years that a good planning doesn't have any substitute.

Therefore, you need to use the old-fashioned technique: write the plans of a white sheet of paper. You need to wrote down several things, such as the total budget of your project, the materials you want to use and the size of the gazebo. Afterwards, you need to go to the local building department and see general requirements, such as the distance you need to let from the property line, the depth of the footings or if you need a building permit.

After getting done with all these bureaucratic paperwork, you need to search on the Internet plans for your needs. If you want to keep the costs under control and to build the gazebo by yourself, a square construction is the good choice. Otherwise, the best compromise between looks and costs is to choose quality rectangular gazebo plans. An octagonal shape will add style and character to your backyard, but it requires a significant investment and a high amount of work.

Free Gazebo Plans

Generally speaking, a gazebo construction consists of four main components: footing, flooring, roof and railings. In order to create a rigid frame, we recommend you to dig deep holes in the ground (6" under the frost line), fit tube forms and lock the posts into concrete. Plumb the posts and lock them temporarily with braces for a couple of days.

Afterwards, attach the 2x6 joists to the posts and lock them tightly with lag screw. It is essential to level the components and to secure them into place with screws, before attaching the decking slats. Space the 2x4 decking slats by placing a nail between them. In this manner, you will get consistent gaps and the water will drain properly.

Building the roof of the gazebo is a complex task, maybe the most difficult of the whole project. In order to get a professional result, we recommend you to plan everything form the very beginning and to use a good miter saw, as the roof requires many angle cuts.

As far as the railings are concerned, you need to choose the design that fits your needs and tastes. Basically the railings consist of bottom and top railing, cleats and balusters. There are many options that you could choose from, so make sure you work with attention and choose a model that fits your needs.

Rectangular Gazebo Plans

A rectangular gazebo is not difficult to build, provided you use proper plans and quality materials. As you can easily notice in the plans, the most difficult part of the project is to build the roof. A roof for a rectangular gazebo requires proper plans and many angle cuts.


Resources:

http://myoutdoorplans.com/pergola/rectangular-gazebo-plans/